Many products incorporate one or more suction cups to allow the product to be releasably secured to a surface. As is known, a suction cup is an object that uses the negative fluid pressure of air or water to adhere to nonporous surfaces, creating a partial vacuum. The working face of the suction cup is made of elastic, flexible material and has a curved surface. When the center of the suction cup is pressed against a flat, non-porous surface, the volume of the space between the suction cup and the flat surface is reduced, which causes the air or water between the cup and the surface to be expelled past the rim of the circular cup. The cavity which develops between the cup and the flat surface has little to no air or water in it because most of the fluid has already been forced out of the inside of the cup, causing a lack of pressure. The pressure difference between the atmosphere on the outside of the cup and the low-pressure cavity on the inside of the cup keeps the cup adhered to the surface.
Suction cups are incorporated into a vast number of different commercial products, including but not limited to, automotive accessories, bathroom accessories, kitchen accessories, sporting goods, etc.
There are a wide array of different types of kitchen tools and accessories, including but not limited to, utensils, cutting boards, thermometers and other accessories meant to improve and/or make a cooking experience safer. A number of accessories are designed to protect a person from the high temperatures that are generated during cooking. One popular kitchen accessory is an oven mitt. An oven mitt or oven glove is an insulated glove or mitten usually worn in the kitchen to easily protect the wearer's hand from hot objects such as ovens, stoves, cookwear, etc.
An oven mitt can be formed of any number of materials, including fabric gloves, that consist of heat insulation surrounded by cotton fabric, usually consisting of decorative patterns. Newer oven gloves are often treated with silicone, which makes them resistant to water and stains, or made of stronger synthetic materials, such as, Kevlar or Nomex.
Yet another common kitchen accessory is a trivet. A trivet is an object that is placed between a serving dish or bowl, and a dining table, usually to protect the table from heat or water damage.
A trivet can also refer to a tripod used to elevate pots from the coals of an open fire. Metal trivets are often tripod-like structures with three legs to support the trivet horizontally in order to hold the dish or pot above the table surface. An at least three-legged design is conventionally optimal because it eliminates wobbling on uneven surfaces. Modern trivets are made from metal, wood, ceramic, fabric, silicone or cork. Some commercially available trivets/pot holders incorporate suction cups into the constructions; however, the suction cups have a traditional construction.
Trivets and oven mitts are often used together when cooking and handling hot pots or pans; however, since they are two distinct separate accessories, it can at times be cumbersome and take up space to use the two in succession, etc.